embracing joy, releasing excess

A word for 2015

I have always been a lover of words. My nightstand is constantly a precarious tower of multiple books being read at a time, permeating my life with words and stories, facts and fantasies. I kept all the flashcards I made for the GRE and still like to look through them from time to time to see if I remember the meanings of the words. I love when you find just the right word to convey a meaning, like flabbergasted instead of just plain surprised.

Sometimes just one word can carry so much weight. Birth, death, love, divorce, family, cancer, friends…I am sure you can think of many more.

I had heard of the idea to use one word to help define your goals for the New Year. I have always been one to set goals in January. A new year feels like a fresh start, a time to dream big. My goals are usually quite specific, as it’s in the details that goals are made to be attained. But I liked the idea of having all my goals linked to one word.

So I decided to give this one word idea a try. It was harder than I thought it would be. What one word would keep my goals fresh in my mind, grounded when things got in the way? My first thought was “contentment”. The word certainly aligns with my goals in many ways, but it wasn’t quite right.

After lots of lists and words struck through, I found it. Focus. It’s defined as a central point, as of attraction, attention or activity. Here is what focus means for me in 2015:

To look into my children’s eyes and focus on their words when they speak. To focus my heart on hearing what they have to say, really feeling their tender touches.

To focus on my marriage by spending quality time with my husband, loving him as my best and most trusted friend, and serving him in making our house a home.

To focus our home education by carefully choosing curriculum and materials that both suit our family and honor God.

To eliminate distractions like phone alerts or unproductive internet time to focus on tasks and people at hand.

To focus on the many blessings I’ve been given each day, eliminate excess, and make my overabundance a blessing for others.

To eat mindfully and give thanks for my meals rather than eat rapidly while checking emails or news.

To pay attention to the needs of my body and mind, giving it rest, leisure, and work when needed.

To focus on my true passions, like writing, reading, spending time in nature. God has given me these unique passions for the purpose of bringing him glory and I want to honor that.

Ultimately, I choose to focus on Christ. For when I focus on my creator, savior, redeemer, all these other things listed above will happen as He reveals His will for my life. I pray that this year of focus will more closely align my heart with His in ways that will delight and surprise me.

I encourage you to find your own word and to join me in a year of focus.